The Karnataka High Court on Thursday stayed the criminal proceedings against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the defamation case filed against him by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)..Justice M Nagaprasanna also sought the response of BJP to the plea filed by Gandhi seeking to quash the case.The case will heard again on February 20.Senior Counsel SK Shetty appeared for Gandhi and argued that the complaint by BJP was misconstrued..The defamation case was filed by BJP leader Keshav Prasad against Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister (CM) Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar citing the advertisements and campaigning slogans of Congress party during the lead up to the 2023 Karnataka assembly elections.In the ads, the Congress party had alleged that the BJP, which was then in power in the State, was charging up to 40 percent commission/ bribes from contractors and others for execution of public works.The BJP in its complaint accused Congress leaders of spreading false advertisements targeting its party members including the then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai..Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar were granted bail by a Magistrate court on June 1, 2024.Gandhi was granted bail by the Magistrate on June 7, 2024.
